Cyber ​​crimes continue to plague women

• PCSW received 979 complaints in September alone
• 15,895 applicants out of 40,280, as of November 2020, did not wish to continue the case
• 41% of complaints so far involved the posting of fake images with personal details
• The absence of witnesses delayed the trial; the out-of-court settlement resulted in a poor conviction

Neela Akter (not her real name), a housewife, received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number last week.

The sender demanded money after sending her personal photos, saying he would share them with relatives and on social media if she refused to pay the amount.

Shocked and confused, Neela insisted that she had not shared those photos with anyone and they were only stored on her mobile phone. She immediately lodged a general diary and complaint with Police Headquarters’ “Police Cyber ​​​​Support for Women (PCSW)”.

After a prompt investigation, PCSW was able to apprehend a suspect. Investigators said the suspect — a delivery man — was able to gain access to Neela’s phone while delivering a product.

He claimed he needed to verify a one-time password (OTP). When he got his hands on her phone, he was able to get information about Neela’s email account and consequently was able to access her cloud storage.

Neela’s case is just one of thousands as women are increasingly targeted as victims of cybercrime. Despite the fact that many women have come forward to report or file complaints, the frequency of such incidents seems to be still increasing.

Many, however, are reluctant to file complaints due to pressure from family or society. Some even retract cases out of fear and shame.

Law enforcement officials have argued that the lack of prosecution in these cases gives perpetrators the opportunity to evade legal consequences.

Legal experts, however, said the system lacks victim-centred support and specialist lawyers to handle such cases, further discouraging women from seeking justice.

Data from PCSW shows a significant increase in complaints.

At least 630 complaints were filed in August alone, and the number rose to 979 the following month.

Since PCSW was established on November 16, 2020, a total of 40,280 complaints have been registered as of September 30 this year.

Between 16 November 2020 and 15 November 2022, PCSW received 22,304 complaints. Between November 16, 2022 and September 30 this year, a staggering 17,976 more complaints were made.

Of the total claimants, 15,895 chose not to continue their legal battles after the initial intervention of the PCSW and the arrest of the suspects.

Enamul Haque Sagor, deputy inspector general at PHQ, told The Daily Star: “Many victims refrain from filing complaints or going through legal proceedings due to societal pressures and fear of public exposure. Perpetrators exploit this fear, which is why these crimes continue.

“We are fully committed to supporting victims and resolving these cases within the legal framework … But victims must come forward.”

The PCSW database reveals that 41% of complaints relate to harassment through fake images and personal details posted on social media; 18% involve hacking social media accounts; another 18 percent refer to blackmail with objectionable photos; and nine percent involve creating fake social media profiles with victims’ photos and personal information.

Lata Begum (not her real name) recently came across a Facebook profile using her photos and details. The profile posted various pornographic photos with the image of her face superimposed. She too lodged a complaint with PCSW.

They then arrested Khairuzzaman Dalim and Rasel Molla, and investigators said those arrested were her neighbors who did it following a dispute with the victim’s family.

Her rights lawyer Salma Ali told The Daily Star that there is no accountability and proper monitoring of crimes against women that take place in cyberspace.

“Victims are not filing cases because there is no victim-centred support. They are victimized even when they file complaints,” she said, adding that there is also a lack of skilled manpower in the police or legal systems to handle such cases.

“Lawyers (here) do not have such experience as such cases require different types of evidence for conviction during the trial,” said Salma, also executive director of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association.

She also said the trial process takes time and “as the saying goes, ‘justice delayed is justice denied'”.

According to court sources, the Dhaka cyber court was able to deliver verdicts in only 213 cases out of 2,141 filed between 2014 and 2022.

Of these, the accused in 162 cases were acquitted till December 2022. At least 1,600 cases were pending trial with the Dhaka Cyber ​​Court till September this year, the sources added.

On the trial delays and low conviction, Rafiqul Islam, the prosecutor of the Dhaka Cyber ​​Court, told this correspondent, “One of the major reasons for the trial delay and poor conviction is that the witnesses did not appear in court. in many cases, the victims reach out-of-court settlements”.

However, he said he does not believe there is a shortage of expert lawyers to handle cybercrime cases. “We have expert lawyers in court now,” adding that steps are being taken to resolve all cases soon.